


Aftermath

by Aeruthin



Series: Original Family Short Stories [5]
Category: The Originals (TV)
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Angst, Blood Drinking, Blood Sharing, Chasing the devil's tail, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sibling Incest, Vampires, coda to 2x07, klelijah - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-02
Updated: 2020-02-02
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:27:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22527046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aeruthin/pseuds/Aeruthin
Summary: When Elijah wakes up after his mother's torture, he needs Klaus to put him back together.
Relationships: Elijah Mikaelson/Klaus Mikaelson
Series: Original Family Short Stories [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1475669
Comments: 5
Kudos: 102





	Aftermath

Elijah jolts awake, the darkness of the forest shifting abruptly to soft candle light. For a moment, the action of stabbing and being stabbed overlap, his hands clutching the stake while his chest flares in pain.

He's in a bed. In his room. Home. The soft sheets grate against his skin, a stark contrast with the cold undergrowth in the woods. 

Niklaus' face is hovering above him, cautiously taking him in. 

"Brother?" Niklaus says, concerned. He sits down on the edge of the bed and the mattress dips beneath his weight. 

"Niklaus..." Elijah breathes. Instinctively, he reaches out. Niklaus' shoulder is warm and solid, and his trembling fingers clutch the seem of his brother's shirt.

"Is this... Are you..."

Niklaus frowns, confused, and Elijah halts, his voice catching. _Is this real?_ he had wanted to ask. _Are you real?_

Involuntarily, images flash through his mind. 

Niklaus laughing with a different face, a thousand years of pain and suffering washed away. Hayley smiling, radiating happiness, holding a child, his child, in her arms. 

Celeste begging in fear, her body collapsing against the wall after he plunged a knife in her chest.

Elijah shudders, his throat tight. He forces himself to focus on his direct surroundings. Systematically. In control. 

The mirror. The door. The small table, lit with candles. 

Niklaus' heartbeat, only inches away. 

Pumping blood through his veins.

Abruptly he sits up, throwing his legs over the side of the bed, nearly knocking his brother over. Niklaus flinches away, but it hardly registers. His breath comes in short gasps. The need for blood crashes over him in waves, and he clenches his eyes shut, trying to push it away. 

"You need to feed," Niklaus says. The crunching sound is intimately familiar, and a moan escapes Elijah's throat as the scent of blood fills the room.

The offer of the outstretched arm is too much. Elijah's fangs extract and he snaps them into his brother's flesh. Warm, dark blood wells up and Elijah whimpers as it fills his mouth. Desperately, he pulls his brother's wrist closer to him, his other hand curling back in his brother's shirt.

But suddenly it's Tatia's throat beneath his fangs, Tatia's blood filling his mouth.

"No," he gasps, and drags himself away. His body screams at him, and he gags. More, it demands, always more.

"Please," he whispers, but he doesn't know what he is asking for.

"Elijah." 

Niklaus' voice breaks through his hazy mind. 

"Elijah," his brother repeats. "Drink."

His hand traces the nape of Elijah's neck, sending shivers down his spine. Gently, he pushes Elijah's head back towards his wrist.

"You can't kill me," he says softly. 

There was a moment when he could, when Klaus' heart was in his hand and if he had closed his fingers his brother would have been gone forever. 

But that was then and this is now, and he can't resist the soft pressure leading his lips back to the puncture wounds. He sighs against his brother's wrist, before reopening the partially healed wounds.

Niklaus continues trailing his fingers through Elijah's hair, encouraging him, and Elijah looses himself in the sensations. He only pulls back when his brother's breath hitches. His heart rate has increased, compensating for the blood loss. Elijah licks the remaining blood of Niklaus' wrists, and presses a soft kiss against the closing wounds. 

The blood sends a satisfying hum through his system, enhancing his already overloaded senses. The room blurs into light, colours and sounds. He turns to Niklaus, who's eyes are lidded, his pupils blown wide and his mouth slightly open. In the dazzling lights, he seems to glow. 

They both lean forward at the same time, and their lips meet in a passionate kiss. Elijah nibbles at his brother's lower lip, before trailing down his jawline, resulting in a satisfying moan.

Niklaus pushes him back forcefully and Elijah sinks back down into the mattress. His brother shifts closer, throwing over one leg and straddling him. Elijah gasps at the pressure, electricity spiking through his body. 

Niklaus pauses as he leans down over him. Elijah frowns as he notices his clenched jaw. 

He reaches up and places his hand on his brother's cheek, trying to focus through the hazy after-effect of the blood. Niklaus closes his eyes briefly, leaning into the touch. Exhaustion lines his face. 

"Niklaus..." Elijah starts, but his brother forcefully grabs his wrist and pulls his hand away before stepping off the bed. Elijah pushes himself back up, trailing his brother with his eyes. Niklaus has turned away from him, his shoulders drawn tight. 

"I'll let you clean up," Niklaus says, and before Elijah can stop him, he is gone. The candle flames flicker in his wake, and the shadows dance on the walls.

Elijah doesn't move for some time. Slowly, the brightness around him dims, and tentatively, he allows himself to accept that this is real, that the room will not dissolve around him to make place for another scene or another memory dragged to the surface by his mother. 

Soon, he will clean himself up, and question his brother about what happened in his absence. They had to move forward, for Hope's sake, if nothing else.

And maybe, quelling his brother's demons could help suppress the whispers of horror still echoing in his own mind.


End file.
